What You Get for ... $1,000,000

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What You Get for … $1,000,000

What You Get for … $1,000,000

CreditJoe Jaszewski for The New York Times

BOISE, IDAHO

WHAT: A midcentury modern with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms

HOW MUCH: $1,000,000

SIZE: 4,014 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $249

SETTING: This house is on a ridge overlooking downtown Boise in a neighborhood called the North End, where developed land gives way to foothills. Much of the area’s housing stock is midcentury modern, on winding roads with broad views.

Nearby is Military Reserve Park, a 479-acre expanse where hiking and biking trails wind through hills and flats with sagebrush and cottonwoods. Downtown Boise is about two and a half miles away.

INDOORS: The two-story house was completed in 1951. The interior is open and airy, with massive windows overlooking downtown Boise from the great room and master bedroom. Floors are a brownish-orange fiberboard joined by aluminum seams, and many of the rooms have original birch veneer paneling and cabinetry. The bathrooms feature the original colorful tile.

The great room is 900 square feet, with a pitched ceiling and a wood-burning fireplace. Sliding glass walls open to a balcony that runs along the entire western face of the house. French doors on the eastern side open to the pool and patio, and clerestory windows at the room’s highest point let in extra light. In the kitchen, there are newer stainless-steel countertops and appliances along with the original wood paneling and cabinetry.

The master bedroom is on the main level; its section of the western balcony has a hot tub. The other two bedrooms are downstairs, as is a family room and billiards room. The family room has an entertainment center with a vintage phonograph and radio. It opens to a breezeway, which in turn opens to a stone patio.

Adjoining the family room is a wet bar with an original Murphy Cabranette, a one-piece kitchenette with a stove and sink. There is also a two-car garage.

SETTING: This penthouse condominium is in downtown Madison, the city center and hub of state government. Built in 2002, the building was one of the first developments of its kind in the city. Wisconsin’s capitol building is a half-block away; restaurants, bars and shops are within steps.

Downtown is on a narrow isthmus with lakes on either side: Lake Monona to the southeast, Lake Mendota to the northwest. Both have waterfront parks and trails for walking and biking. On weekends, a farmers’ market unfolds in Capitol Square, and in summer months the Madison Symphony Orchestra plays outdoor concerts that can be heard from this building’s shared terrace. The University of Wisconsin and attendant arts and culture are about a half-mile west.

INDOORS: The two-story penthouse is at the top of a 14-story building, with views of the isthmus and lakes from every room. Ceilings are 10 feet high, floors are Brazilian cherry and the unit is outfitted with surround sound.

The living room, dining room and kitchen are part of a 1,200-square-foot great room with a full wall of windows. Off the great room are two small terraces. A three-way gas fireplace separates the living and dining area and a sitting area. Also on the entry level is a corner study with built-in bookshelves.

A steel staircase leads to a second level, where there are two bedrooms, a hallway library and a 280-square-foot terrace. The master bedroom has a wraparound glass wall affording panoramic views of the isthmus and lakes. Three garage parking spots convey with the unit. Building amenities include concierge service and the shared terrace.

SETTING: The South End is a residential area in Boston, just south of the riverfront downtown and the affluent neighborhoods of Back Bay and Beacon Hill. Known for its brick townhouses and tree-lined streets, the South End contains the largest concentration of urban Victorian architecture in the country, according to the National Register of Historic Places. This unit, in a rowhouse built around 1900, is within a few blocks of shopping, dining, bars and the M.B.T.A. subway. Farther south is a district of converted lofts, many of them now restaurants and galleries.

INDOORS: The building is a two-unit co-op. This duplex features wide-plank pine floors, a marble fireplace and an original staircase. The common areas are on the first floor; the living room has a bay window and the kitchen has stainless-steel appliances updated about five years ago. The large windows at both ends of the apartment lend the unit plenty of natural light. Both bedrooms are upstairs. The master has a wall of windows and a closet with sliding wood doors.

OUTDOOR SPACE: A spiral staircase in the second bedroom leads to a private roof deck with an unobstructed panorama of Boston.

TAXES: $6,413 a year with a residential exemption, plus $330 a month in association fees